Hidden Affection
by Kouyan
Summary: The day he tells her his feelings would be one that will change a few people's life. His precious childhood friend had forgotten all about him, the times and feelings they shared. Seems like it's going to take some time for him to confess. RyomaxOC
1. Prologue

_Hey people~ To think that you would click to this page makes me happy. This short prologue is just what I had done, like, idk when. The ideas were swimming in my head for days, so I had to do this before my mind gets flooded and eventually go insane. Hope you'll enjoy it. Douzo yoroshiku!_

* * *

**Prologue**

_The times we had_

_The memories we shared_

_I still held them dear_

_I wish you remember…_

Tennis, one of the widely known and played sports, was what brought them together. Tennis was what made their parents acquaintances. They had been together since they were in diapers. Practically nothing could separate them. But things – good or bad – always end. Fate played such a cruel joke on them. It was still inevitable that things ended up that way. If only they saw it coming…

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Here it goes!"

Sounds of dribble were heard. After a few bounces, a small hand caught it with ease and tossed it upwards. Raising the racket, the ball met it and the small figure swung it hard. The ball glided towards the other side of the court and landed with a loud thud.

Already anticipated it, shuffle of legs could be heard as the small figure with a cap on rushed to return it. Next moment, the ball was sent flying back at a high speed to the server. The small figure ran towards the ball, but she missed it by a small distance. She groaned as she watched the ball flew past her.

"No fair Ryoma!" The little girl snuffed and crossed her arms in front of her.

"Mada mada dane, Rei," the said boy remarked in his usual haughty tone.

Reiya frowned at him. She was tired and let it slipped. With a sigh, she made her way to the bench where their belongings were. She sat down and began to chug down her water. Ryoma proceeded to her without any word. She scooted a little in order to make enough space for him.

Ryoma settled down beside her, their shoulders nearly touching, but none breathed a word about it. Their heavy breathings soon slackened as they sat there in silence. Both seemed to be deep in their thoughts as they sat there, enjoying the cool, evening breeze.

"Ne, Ryoma," Reiya inquired, breaking the comfortable silence.

"Hn?" Ryoma responded as he turned his head to face her.

"Why can't I beat you? I am always losing to you no matter how hard I try. I wonder what's wrong with me…"

Taking in her expression, he knew what was coming. Her wet, glistening eyes and the way her small hands clenched tightly on her laps told him everything. What should he do? He was never good at dealing with situations like this, especially when he is dealing with a crying Reiya.

Without any further thoughts, he pulled her into a hug. Reiya was taken aback by it. For the past 4 years (and a few months), they had never gotten so close to each other. Sure, they had hugged when they were much younger, but Reiya could tell that this hug was something different.

"I know how hard you had tried. Besides, I started playing before you. We still have a long way to go. You understand?" Reiya slowly wrapped her small arms around him and responded to his hug. "Un, I know…," she mumbled.

They stayed that way for a moment. When he felt her feeling better, he reluctantly pulled away, his arms still loosely hung around her. She looked up, only to be met with his trademark smug smirk. Confused, she blinked at him, waiting for him to say something.

"Besides…" he ventured, his smirk never once left his lips, "It's a good thing that you lose to me and only me."

"Wha? Why is it a good thing? I will beat you someday, Ryoma. Just you wait!" She snuck her tongue out at him playfully.

"Oh, really? I shall see you try, Rei." He smiled at her change in her tone. At least he pulled through.

"I will be the best and you will be begging me for mercy in the court!"

Ryoma shook his head as he tsked at her comeback. "That, Rei, will never happen. You will be the best, but no matter how hard you try, you will always be under me."

Slightly angered at his remark, she huffed. "And why should I be under you! Don't look down on me just because I am a female." She pouted, making him chuckle.

"Because…" He paused and released her. Taking off his hat, he placed it on her small head and bent down to her face. Reiya could practically feel the heat on her cheeks at their proximity. "I want you to," he continued before leaning in, closing the gap between them. As soon as their lips met, Ryoma parted.

Reiya stared at him, her mind still registering the things that had happened. Everything seemed to go at a pace where she couldn't catch. She blinked a few times before she flushed. Her small hands immediately flew to her cheeks, as she looked down, not daring to look directly at Ryoma's eyes. Ryoma couldn't help but smirk again at her antics. What would he do if she wasn't there with him forever?

"Don't worry. When we grow up, I will marry you. By then you will be the wife of the best tennis player in the world. This sounds better, no?" he stated casually, still smirking.

"Ah… I… I guess so." Her reply came out weaker than he thought. Nonetheless, he was still overjoyed at her response. She actually agreed to his proposal!

Grinning to himself, he stood up and took their belongings. "Come on! Let's get back before the sun goes down." He reached out his hand to her. Already recovered from her previous demeanour, she smiled at him and gladly took his hand.

"Un!"

Walking hand in hand, they walked out of the park and made their way home. It was a short distance away from their home to the park, so they usually dropped by and practice with each other. Silence penetrated the air around them as they walked. None of them spoke a word.

A sudden cry of help from behind them gained their attention as they turned back. They saw a lady whom seemed to be pregnant, crying for help and a pram moving to the street. The baby, who was unaware of the ruckus, slept soundly in the pram. Just then, an incoming van was advancing to it.

Without a second thought, Reiya unlatched her hand with Ryoma's and darted towards it.

"Rei! Wait!" Ryoma yelled as he, too, ran after her.

Reiya got there just in the nick of time to push the pram away. However, it was too late for her to avoid the van. It screeched to a stop, but it still collided into her. Everything seemed to happen in a slow pace. Reiya pushing the pram, the pram slowly rolled away and out of the street, the van halted but knocked her down, sending her flying a distance before lying onto the ground. The hat was flown away from the sudden impact.

"Rei!" Ryoma yelled once again. Dropping their belongings, he ran to her, where her body laid limply in her own pool of blood. He knelt down and hugged her close, not caring that the blood was staining his clothes. Fresh tears began to make their way down his cheeks as he cried out her name repeatedly.

Number of onlookers gradually increased as passers-by stopped in their tracks to look at the commotion. Soon the ambulance came and they were sent to the nearby hospital.

There they waited, outside the emergency room. Reiya's parents, Ryoma's parents, as well as Ryoma himself were there waiting for the doctor to step out. Reiya's mother were bawling her eyes out as her husband had his arm around her, soothing her down, though he himself looked as if tears would trickle down anytime soon. Ryoma's parents were still in pure shock as they sat there, their faces full of concern and anxiety.

Ryoma, still in his blood soaked clothing, seemed to be fully worn-out, but there wasn't any trace of it. He was pacing around near the door, hoping that it would open soon before he went into another round of weeping.

It seemed like time had stopped. It was a long wait. After what seemed like years, the light indicating the progress of operation went off with a soft 'ding' and out came the doctor, looking as though he had just survived a battle.

Everyone rushed over, eyes filled with hope. The doctor took a glance at everyone before heaving a long sigh. What the doctor will be telling them was going to devastate them.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Reiya… Reiya…" Someone spoke softly.

'Who's calling me?' Reiya thought. Her eyes were still closed, but she was on the verge of being conscious.

"Reiya, can you hear me?" This time, the voice sounded soft yet firm. Reiya began to flutter her eyes open, her mind slowly registering as her eyes tried to adjust to the light intensity.

"Reiya! Mom! Dad! She's awake!" A boyish voice exclaimed, causing everyone in the room to jolt awake.

"Reiya! My dear! How are you feeling?" A motherly figure rushed over to her side and grasped her hand.

"M…Mom…" Reiya managed to croak out with her dry throat. Her head was in turmoil. It felt like her head was going to split soon. She winced. What happened? Oh right, she got into an accident. But how did she get into one? She could only remember the sound of the tyres when the vehicle came to a stop, the feeling of pain surging through her body as she got sent away once she collided with it.

Reiya let her eyes wander. She could see her father, her mother, and three unfamiliar beings. She blinked.

She saw her mother crying, most probably out of relief. A boy who looks about the same age as her leant over from the other side of the bed. She took in his features and wondered, 'Who is this?'

"Rei! I'm glad you're OK!" the boy finally said something. Reiya shifted her head and faced him. She blinked a few times before responding.

"Who... are you?"

* * *

_Hai~ Thanks for reading up till here! Please tell me what you feel/think after reading so I could improve. And don't worry, I know I had made mistakes, so feel free to point them out and I'll correct them right away~ _

_Hnn... I shall get the first chapter out soon. Hopefully. :O_


	2. Chapter 1: His Miseries

My apologies for taking so long to update. m(_ _)m I couldn't get my lazy self to type out until awhile ago. :\ This chapter isn't very interesting, to me. Hmm... but anyway, things will progress. I had a rough idea on how it would go. So read on~ :3

* * *

**Chapter 1: His Miseries**

_If I yell out loud_

_Will you be able to hear_

_This never-ending love of mine?_

_

* * *

  
_

The beeping sound of the alarm clock woke Ryoma up. With a small groan, he reached his hand out and snapped the clock shut. Sitting up, Ryoma rubbed his eyes as he let out a big yawn. He blinked his eyes a few times, a dazed look on his face. He could feel a weight on his legs. The cat meowed at him.

"Ah… morning Karupin." The cat meowed again, seemingly greeting him back.

Slowly slipping out of his warm bed, his feet landed onto the cold floor. His gaze shifted to the calendar that sat on his table after blinking his weary eyes.

A mark was made on the calendar.

Ryoma stared at it for a while. "Ah!" His eyes widened slightly. It seemed like something important would be happening the date that was marked on his calendar. Well, to Ryoma, that is. That day was special to him. For the past few years, he spent the days with disheartenment. He wished he was there to spend that day with her. He would pick presents that appeared to be having a connection among them and sent them to her, hoping that they would be by her side instead of him.

Every time, he would be having difficulties in penning his thoughts down on the card he had specifically made himself. He had a lot of things to tell her, how much he missed her, but it would seem awkward to confess it in such a manner. It would all ended up with him sending a card that briefly said a few lines of greetings and the two words in bold. The destination would be different almost every year, as her parents had to move from place to place due to their work.

A weak smile was shown on his features. "Hmm… What should I buy?" Ryoma let out a sigh. He wasn't good at anything like this. It looks like this prince of tennis has more ways to go before he could master the skill of dating.

He stifled another yawn. Getting up, he quickly changed, grabbed his bag and headed downstairs. He was then greeted by his cousin. His dad was reading newspapers as usual. Well, more like reading one of his perverted magazines while pretending to be reading the newspapers. Placing his bag at the side of the table, he went ahead to clean himself in the bathroom. What he needed at the moment was some time to think, and morning showers are just great for situations like this.

Switching on the tap, he felt the cold water rinsing his body, to which it involuntarily convulsed slightly due to the sudden change in temperature. The coldness seemed to sooth his jumbled mind. Every time he closes his eyes, he would recall of the past, which he couldn't help but wanting to erase them forever. It was excruciating to the point that he might totally change himself into another being, another Echizen Ryoma. But he wouldn't. He had to live on with the memories that now only he would have the ability to recall, just because the other party in those memories couldn't even recollect a single thing now.

As much as he wanted to stay in there for the whole morning, he reluctantly turned off the tap and dried himself. As he stepped out of the bathroom, a sigh left his lips. It looks like this method only applies to long, cold showers, not short ones.

Breakfast was his favourite – Japanese food. If this was any other day, he would be real satisfied. However, this wasn't. He half-heartedly nibbled his food as he stared blankly at his bottles of milk that were placed in front of him. Thanks to Inui, he had to drink three bottles every morning. Not that he had anything to complain since it would aid in his growth, as claimed from Inui himself.

Growing taller means appearing to be more matured, and nonetheless, appeals to the other sex. Most girls would like their guys to be matured. At the least, that's only what Ryoma thought on how Reiya perceives guys, since he would catch her taking a second look at guys who were matured-looking back when they were out shopping with their mothers after Reiya had fully recovered from that accident, of course.

If only he could get her to like him, to return his feelings. How he had longed to hold her hands while walking home to school and back, protecting her like how a man should do to the girl he treasures, kissing her in the public just to see that cute blush of hers, teasing her non-stop to show his love to her, in his way, claiming her to be his forever.

As Ryoma ate in silence, Nanjirou looked up from his newspapers/perverted magazine. He had known about his son's worries and agony. That was something he didn't suffer from much, since he was quite the lady-killer back in his younger days. Though he couldn't give much of an advice or two to Ryoma, he could see how he would start acting all sentimental when it comes to things that concern Reiya. For now, he could only look after him and support him.

Speaking of which, he wondered what was up with Ryoma. He hadn't recalled of anything that had any relation to Reiya. Or perhaps there was? He frowned. The old age seemed to be getting to him. Scratching his head, he mulled over it for not long, as the silence was then broken by Nanako.

"Ara? What's wrong? You didn't finish them all. To think that it's your favourite." Nanako pouted, her face full of concern.

Nanjirou snapped out of his thoughts and glanced towards the dining table to see Ryoma hastily gulping down his last bottle of milk before bending down to grab his bag.

"Nandemo nai," Ryoma muttered, while placing his cap on his head.

'Hn! Nothing my ass! Stupid son of mine doesn't even know how to show his feelings out,' Nanjirou thought sourly with half-moon eyes.

"Ja, I'm heading off now. Ittekimasu." With that, he was already out of the door.

Nanako stared at the door. Another frown was visible as she placed her palm on her cheek, face contorted in confusion and concern. "What happened to Ryoma?" The question wasn't directed to anyone in particular, but Nanjirou nevertheless spoke, "Hah! Don't worry about it! He will soon get out of his misery, for the time being…"

"Really…?" Nanako let out a sigh. "Hope everything goes well for him."

"Yea…" Nanjirou replied through his big yawn. That was when something triggered in his mind. That something which he had stirred up his brain juices to get him to recall, and finally he did, without much effort this time. "Ah! That's right… it's her birthday next Friday!" He smacked his head at the slowness of his brain. So Ryoma was really acting all weird not for any other reason but her! That totally explained it.

* * *

As usual, please correct me if I made any mistakes. :3 And thanks for reading up till here. Review on your thoughts, or anything. Don't worry, Reiya will appear in the next chapter. I think.... XD


	3. Chapter 2: Happenstance

Uh... Firstly, thanks to the reviewers. They made me happy, like any other writers would when they receive even one. Secondly, my apologies again for the superlative slow update. I sort of lost touch with my writing and... Blah. Orz Anyway, here's chapter 2 at long last! Hmm... I wonder if anyone is still interested in this.... Psst! This chapter marks the return of........ _dun dun dun dun_.....

* * *

**Chapter 2: Happenstance**

_I'm always looking forward_

_To the day, I will see you again_

_These feelings had never once changed_

_If only you knew..._

_

* * *

  
_

School was over in a jiffy for Ryoma. Since the lessons were dull as usual, Ryoma paid not much attention to any of the teachers. Not like he had any of a heart to concentrate in class to start with as his mind was pretty much occupied. Though he was caught many times by different teachers, to which he had unintentionally broken his own record of being caught so many times in just a single day, the teachers were practically stunned by his answers to their questions, especially the English teacher.

Well, that's Echizen Ryoma all right.

Ryoma was on his way to the tennis courts. It seemed like he was early for a change, just because he got away without having detentions. Shifting the weight of his bag on his shoulder, he trudged down the pathway until he reached the courts. The freshmen were already setting up the nets and baskets of balls were placed neatly at the side.

Tennis, as much as he didn't want to admit, he missed playing it with her. The last time they played was years back. He could still recall her serious face, determined to return his shots. Even though she had lost her memories, that same old Reiya could be seen when she was on the courts with him. It was as though that accident never happened, the fact that Reiya had lost her memories was false, and the way she smiled at her as though she hasn't suffered any pain. But he knew that those were just his wishful thinking. What happened had already happened.

"Oi Echizen! What are you doing spacing out in front of the door? Hurry up and get in!" A voice snapped him out of his reverie.

"Ah, Momo-senpai. I was just about to enter." Ryoma shot him a weird look before entering.

"Yeah, right… You were obviously standing down there for, like, eternity." Momoshiro followed suit and placed his belongings at his usual spot.

"…" Ryoma seemingly ignored his senior, continuing to undress himself.

"Hah! See? I was right." Momoshiro flashed a cheeky grin at him as he took his pants off.

"…you're so childish, Momo-senpai." By then, Ryoma was already done changing. He grabbed his racket and started for the door.

"Beats a liar!" Momoshiro retorted back just as Ryoma exited the door.

Casting his eyes heavenwards, his gaze fixated onto the puffy white clouds that were floating about freely in the sky. If only they were free of troubles and pain, just like the clouds. If only he could be like those clouds, always watching over her no matter her whereabouts. That's only an 'if', and 'if' is just a part of 'life'.

"AH!" The sudden outburst shook him out of his reverie once again. Ryoma lazily turned his head back to see a wide-eyed senior. "I thought you left for the courts moments ago? What the hell is wrong with you today?"

Ryoma blinked. He couldn't figure that out himself, nor would he be able to answer. So he probably could just brush it off with something lame since having someone to bug you over something would definitely drive one loony, especially when it's this senior.

"It's n-"

"Hoi hoi! What are you guys doing here?" Ryoma wasn't able to finish his sentence as he was cut short by Kikumaru. Standing beside the hyperactive cat-like human was the vice-captain, Oishi.

"Yo! Why aren't you guys at the courts?" The 'mother' of the tennis club asked with a frown.

"Ah… we were just about to make our way there…" Momoshiro laughed it off. Ryoma merely tilted his cap lower without saying a word.

"Oh? Everyone's so early today!" Everyone turned to the speaker.

"Fuji! Are you done with the work?" Oishi asked.

"Hmm… Sensei said it was okay for me to leave…" Fuji trailed off, his smile never once lifted from his face.

"Let's hurry up and change! I want to play now!" Kikumaru jumped up and down, like a kid expecting a present from Santa.

Everyone went in to change, except Ryoma and Momoshiro. Resting his racket on one of his shoulders, Ryoma began to stalk off towards the courts. Momoshiro stared at the back of Ryoma's head, all the while tailing behind him. A frown then appeared, and his face seemed to be in deep thought.

'_What the hell went wrong with him?_'

Practice went on as soon as everyone had gathered. It was the usual routine. They started with their physical training, which serves as a not-so-normal warm up. The tournament is coming up in a few weeks. Everyone has to get prepared to face off with strong opponents in order to clinch the championship. Like how this always applies everywhere, anywhere, the strong will always prevail and the weak will come to nothing. This just made their training even tougher than usual. Sprinting as though wild beasts were hot on their tails along with a demon-like figure monitoring their whole training just made this day a dreadful one. Yet no one would complain much, because they knew they had to go through all these to outgrow themselves.

The juniors had to pick up the balls while the seniors played on the courts. The regulars were practising in courts that were furthest away from the school building. Being that outstanding has its own disadvantages, and one of them is just what would be popularly known as fangirls screaming while marvelling at their admired regulars. Not to mention that players from other schools would come by and scout on their skills and such. Though their plan did somehow worked, it just can't be helped that people still swarm around the courts and watch them play. That includes the two freshmen, the shy and seemingly timid girl, Ryuuzaki Sakuno, as well as the loudmouth and peculiarly fearsome girl, Osakada Tomoka.

"Kyaaa! RYOMA-SAMA!!" Piercing squeals resonated through the courts as the said figure landed gracefully with one foot and managed to return the shot from the regular known for his monstrous power, Kawamura Takashi.

"To... Tomo-chan..." Sakuno tried her best to calm her friend down. Seriously speaking, it was embarrassing, but it can't be helped, can it?

"What is it, Sakuno? Come on! You have to cheer for Ryoma-sama too!" Tomoka pulled on Sakuno's wrist, urging her to cheer as well while continuing her previous antic.

Sakuno was lost at words. As much as she would love and want to cheer as loud as Tomoka, she just couldn't bring herself to do it. Sometimes, she was just envious of her friend's outgoing personality.

"Ah... The screams are gradually increasing. Was it louder than yesterday's? Hmm..." Fuji said as he observed the players on the courts at that moment.

"To be precise, it's 0.38 times louder than yesterday's." Inui corrected him while he scribbled some things onto his notebook.

"Ah, that's Inui for you, to be able to take note of such irrelevant not to say minor things." Fuji smiled.

"Everything is relevant as it is. It's a matter of how you would make use of them to your own benefits." Inui adjusted his spectacles and smirked.

"Ne! Who is that?" Eiji butted in out of nowhere during which he pointed at a figure standing near the courts they were in. A small, petite figure that wore a short cargo skirt with complimentary light green halterneck with a gray flat cap atop her head, as well as a pair of knee-high gothic boots was standing amidst the trees near the courts. Her apparent chiseled face stood out even being shaded by the tree which she had stood beneath. Her presence gave out a soft glow yet unwavering at the same time.

"Who knows who that is? Inui, do you have any idea or data on that person?" Fuji inquired.

Inui flipped through his notebook to no avail. "I don't know." He let out a sigh before continuing. "It's not like any of us here has any relation with her, not that I have known of."

"Hmm..." Fuji stared at the girl awhile more before turning his attention back to the courts. One has no time to waste when it comes to training itself. Fuji grabbed his racquet and adjusted the strings before heading towards one of the courts.

Inui went on to his scribbling as he took in the information around him. This was another big part of his own training, to gather information as much as he could and improve on himself. Eiji too, glanced her way for a few more seconds before going back to his own training.

The sun began to set, marking the end of the practice for the day. The practice ended before they knew it. Time sure flies fast when one is too engrossed in whatever s/he is doing. Everyone gathered once again while Sumire-sensei briefed them upon getting good rest before next day's another hellish practice. With that, everyone scattered off to tidy up the courts.

"Otsukaresama!" The members greeted as they exited the room.

Now it was left with the regulars in the room. Ryoma packed his belongings quietly as usual. His mind was still in turmoil despite letting out all that sweat during the practice. Momoshiro, being a good friend and caring senior he was, went up to him and asked yet again. What he had gotten back was a mere shrug and a simple reply of "nothing".

He sighed. It was one of those times that Momoshiro could do nothing much to get Ryoma to open himself up. Perhaps he just needed time to think and he would be back to the original Echizen Ryoma. Or maybe, he himself was just thinking too much?

"Hoi~ Ochibi! Momo! Wanna go somewhere and eat before heading home?" They hyperactive senior asked while latching one arm over Ryoma's shoulder.

"Get off me, senpai. I'm going home." Ryoma replied as he tried to shake off his senior, to which he succeeded after a few struggles.

"Aw~ let's go eat!" Eiji whined as he followed Ryoma, who was already at the door.

"That's right, Ryoma! It would be good for you to go so to stop you from worrying and such." Momoshiro agreed and trailed after.

"I'm tired. I need a bath. I ain't hungry. And I am not worrying about anything." That was Ryoma's reply as he swung open the door and walked out.

Eiji and Momoshiro both exchanged glances. "Did something happen to our Ochibi?" Eiji arched one of his eyebrows. Rubbing the back of his neck, Momoshiro let out an exasperated sigh. "Hell, how would I know?"

The two of them soon caught up with Ryoma, whom had yet gone far from the room. Both of them had yet to give up on dragging him to eat with them. Ryoma merely replied with the same old words while trying to keep himself down from giving both his seniors a punch in the stomach and run home to escape from their rambling.

Just as they were nearing the school gates, they noticed a figure standing by the gate, apparently waiting for something or someone. Eiji, with his sharp observation skills, recognised her at once as the one that they had seen back during the practice.

"Ah! It's her!" Eiji cried out, gaining the two's attention. The figure too, looked their way from the outbreak.

"Huh? Who?" Momoshiro stared at his senior weirdly before turning to stare at the figure.

Ryoma paused in his track. The figure gazed at him, in which he could not nothing but merely stared back into her alluring dark eyes. If this was a dream, he wouldn't want to wake up from it, ever. But that's all just an "if". And that is a part of something big - life.

* * *

Phew~ 2nd chapter is finally done! I welcome any reviews from you people. :D I feel accomplished. X3 Thanks for taking your time to read. I would appreciate if you would take some time to review on it too!

Till then~!


End file.
